Document No.

Version No.: 1.3

ORA LABORATORY PROCEDURE Food and Drug Administration

Title: EQUIPMENT

ORA-LAB.5.5
Page 1 of 13
Effective Date: 10-01-03 Revised: 11/10/05

Sections Included in this Document and Document History 1. Purpose 2. Scope 3. Responsibilities 4. Background 5. References/(Deleted dates; revised title of AOAC reference) 6. Procedure 7. Definitions 8. Records 9. Supporting Documents/(Deleted ISO 17025) 10. Attachments Document History 1. Purpose This procedure specifies the schedule and requirements for maintenance, performance, calibration, and verification of laboratory testing equipment. Meeting the criteria in this procedure demonstrates control of the maintenance and calibration parameters needed to achieve the accuracy of instruments used for analytical testing. These procedures apply to the analytical testing equipment used by the Food and Drug Administration/Office of Regulatory Affairs (FDA/ORA) laboratories.

2. Scope

3. A. The FDA/ORA laboratory Directors are responsible for: Responsibilities

ensuring that the laboratory is equipped with the needed instruments and equipment that, at a minimum, meets the specifications of the analytical methods employed.

B. The Supervisors are responsible for: ensuring that equipment maintenance and calibration are conducted, providing support for arranging non-routine instrument repair and ordering of replacement instrument parts, and designating equipment monitors where needed to perform periodic equipment checks.

C. The Quality Management System Manager is responsible for:

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Document No.:

Version No.: 1.3

ORA LABORATORY PROCEDURE Food and Drug Administration

Title: EQUIPMENT

ORA-LAB.5.5
Page 2 of 13
Effective Date: 10-01-03 Revised: 11/10/05

: maintaining the equipment maintenance records.

D. Staff is responsible for: : verifying equipment conforms to specifications prior to use, and completing the documentation of this verification, and adhering to written equipment operation procedures.

5. References

International Organization for Standardization and International Electrotechnical Commission. International Standard (ISO/IEC) 17025 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories (Section 5.5 Equipment). Geneva, Switzerland: ISO Committee on Conformity Assessment. AOAC International guidelines for laboratories performing microbiological and chemical analyses of foods and pharmaceuticals.

6. Procedure

A. Equipment Identification and Records 1. All equipment in the FDA equipment inventory system is labeled with a unique identification number (e.g. FDA bar code number). Generally, equipment not bar coded under the FDA-wide inventory system is identified under the laboratory's own unique numbering system. 2. Each laboratory maintains an inventory of its major equipment used to perform regulatory testing. This inventory contains the following information: Item and its software, Manufacturer and model, Serial number or other unique identification, and Location.

3. The label or tag found on or near the equipment contains the following information:
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Document No.:

Version No.: 1.3

ORA LABORATORY PROCEDURE Food and Drug Administration

Title: EQUIPMENT

ORA-LAB.5.5
Page 3 of 13
Effective Date: 10-01-03 Revised: 11/10/05

FDA bar code or unique identification number, Date of last calibration, and Date of the next calibration.

4. Equipment that is scheduled to be calibrated daily or with each use, is tagged as above, except that instead of the calibration dates, it is annotated as such (e.g. calibrated daily or calibrated with each use). 5. Small items with insufficient space to record the information on the label (e.g. thermometers) need only be identified with their unique identification number. 6. Further guidance on instrument and equipment documents and records is provided in Volume II, Section 2, ORA-LAB.5.5.1 Instrument and Equipment Documentation and Records. B. Equipment Qualification 1. When new instruments are installed, laboratories may elect to purchase Installation Qualification(IQ) and Operation Qualification (OQ) from the manufacturer or installer. This information is kept with the equipment records. 2. Alternatively, for new instruments the laboratory may determine independently that quality assurance specifications have been met. Equipment is not used until this has been completed and users have been trained in its operation. C. Equipment Maintenance and Performance Checks 1. Laboratory equipment maintenance and performance checks are conducted on a scheduled basis. A schedule, identifying and eliminating potential sources of problems, is established for the servicing of laboratory equipment. 2. Such maintenance and performance checks are documented to demonstrate that the program is being followed according to schedule.

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Document No.:

Version No.: 1.3

ORA LABORATORY PROCEDURE Food and Drug Administration

Title: EQUIPMENT

ORA-LAB.5.5
Page 4 of 13
Effective Date: 10-01-03 Revised: 11/10/05

3. Manufacturers instructions are used for guidance in performing equipment maintenance. In the absence of manufacturers instructions, instructions are provided in the instrument operation procedure. 4. The maintenance and performance checks records may be maintained in a logbook or log sheet. 5. Table 1 provides information on minimum maintenance requirements for equipment according to Association of Analytical Chemists (AOAC). FDA/ORA laboratories are responsible for developing comparable maintenance schedules for equipment not listed in Table 1. 6. Preventative maintenance procedures, other than basic cleaning, for each equipment item performed internally, are developed unless they are already described elsewhere (e.g. the instrument manual). 7. General service equipment is typically maintained only with cleaning and safety checks. 8. Use of outside contractors to perform repairs or maintenance is at the discretion of local laboratory management. D. Equipment Calibration or Verification 1. A calibration or verification procedure is prepared by the testing laboratory for all critical laboratory equipment where laboratory personnel perform the testing. If the procedure is described in an operations manuals or a test procedure, this can be referenced in lieu of preparing a separate work instruction. 2. Records of calibration or verification are maintained. See Volume II, Section 2, ORA-LAB.5.5.1 Instrument and Equipment Documentation and Records 3. Minimum calibration or verification schedules according to AOAC for the most common types of FDA/ORA laboratory equipment is found in Table 2. For remaining analytical equipment not listed, the laboratory that has the equipment develops a comparable schedule.
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Document No.:

Version No.: 1.3

ORA LABORATORY PROCEDURE Food and Drug Administration

Title: EQUIPMENT

ORA-LAB.5.5
Page 5 of 13
Effective Date: 10-01-03 Revised: 11/10/05

Generally, laboratory equipment are categorized as follows: General service equipment such as blenders, ovens, hotplates, furnaces, stirrers; Volumetric equipment such as class A glassware, mechanical and automatic pipettes and burets; Note: A manufacturers certificate of graduation accuracy for class A glassware may be accepted. Other volumetric equipment, including mechanical and automatic pipettes and burets, are calibrated by the laboratorys procedure. Measuring instruments such as balances, chromatographs, spectrometers, thermometers; and Physical standards such as reference weights and reference standards.

4. Laboratories may do less than illustrated in the tables provided a strong justification exists. The exception is documented in writing and approved by the laboratory director. 5. Some instrumentation, such as chromatographic systems, may not be calibrated by a unique national or international standard. Latitude is provided to address such systems at the method application level as long as traceability is maintained with specified method performance criteria, which includes a certified reference or in-house reference material, and system suitability checks. 6. Data acquired on instruments which fail a parameter are suspect between the failing assessment date and the last successful calibration or verification date. The problems and investigation is conducted as part of the laboratorys corrective action process. See Volume II, Section 1, ORA-LAB.4.10 Corrective Action E. Out of Service Equipment 1. Equipment that is not in use, and therefore has not been calibrated or verified, should be clearly tagged out of service.

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Document No.:

Version No.: 1.3

ORA LABORATORY PROCEDURE Food and Drug Administration

Title: EQUIPMENT

ORA-LAB.5.5
Page 6 of 13
Effective Date: 10-01-03 Revised: 11/10/05

2.

Out of service equipment must be calibrated or verified prior to use.

3. Equipment that is not operating properly is clearly marked to show that it is out of service. 4. When an instrument is discovered to be improperly operating, it is tagged and taken out of service. 5. Equipment is not returned to service until performance checks and verification have been performed and documented. An exception may be made if the equipment failure is not directly related to its analytical function, such as a problem with peripheral equipment. For example, if a printer or computer attached to a chromatographic system is out of order, performance checks and verification for the chromatograph may not be needed following repair. F. Handling, Use, Storage and Transport of Equipment 1. The Work Instruction defines the handling and use of the equipment. Each instrument or piece of equipment has step-by-step instructions for its start-up, operation and shutdown described in manufacturers manuals or per laboratory procedure. Equipment is operated by authorized personnel; authorized personnel are identified per laboratory. 2. The location of equipment in active use is specified in the FDA/ORA Equipment Performance System (EPS) or the laboratory equipment inventory. Equipment not in use is tagged per instructions in 6. Procedures, Part E, Out of Service Equipment. 3. Surplus equipment instructions are found in the Staff Manual Guide; surplus equipment is documented on FDA form HHS-22. 4. Transport or move sensitive equipment according to manufacturers instructions. Transportation or moving equipment may be performed by the manufacturer or other service provider. Equipment is not returned to service until performance checks and verification have been performed and documented. 5. For mobile laboratories, equipment functionality is established prior to use by work instructions. Part F.4 (above) does not apply to
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Document No.:

Version No.: 1.3

ORA LABORATORY PROCEDURE Food and Drug Administration

Title: EQUIPMENT

ORA-LAB.5.5
Page 7 of 13
Effective Date: 10-01-03 Revised: 11/10/05

equipment in mobile laboratories 6. ORA laboratories are secure. Only authorized personnel are permitted in the laboratory; non-authorized personnel are escorted. Computer software is write protected and, in most cases, password protected to prevent unauthorized program adjustments. These measures safeguard the equipment, sample security and computer software. 7. Definitions Calibration Calibration is the set of operations, under specified conditions, establishing the relationship between values of quantities by a measuring instrument or measuring system, or values represented by a material measure or reference material, and the corresponding values realized by standards. Certified reference material (CRM) A CRM is a reference material, whose property values are certified by a technically valid procedure, accompanied by or traceable to a certificate or documentation issued by a certifying body. General service equipment General service equipment is laboratory equipment that is not used for measuring but that can affect the results of an analysis. Examples include grinders, blenders, ovens, furnaces, hotplates, stirrers, non-volumetric glassware used for approximate volume measurements (e.g. measuring cylinders), laboratory heating, and ventilation systems. Installation qualification (IQ) This is the identification of all system elements, electrical or otherwise. This identification and the subsequent documentation for each installed item details normal operating instructions, routine user maintenance, preventive maintenance and cleaning procedures. Measuring instruments This includes balances, chromatographs, spectrometers, thermometers, timers, viscometers, electrochemical meters. Operational qualification (OQ) - OQ is generally described as commissioning. It includes calibration and critical instrument test parameters defined for the use and purpose of the instrument, and may include the definition of upper and lower tolerances. Performance qualification (PQ) - PQ relates to the daily use of the instrument and is designed to measure routine performance. Details of work instructions and specifications are included.
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Document No.:

Version No.: 1.3

ORA LABORATORY PROCEDURE Food and Drug Administration

Title: EQUIPMENT

ORA-LAB.5.5
Page 8 of 13
Effective Date: 10-01-03 Revised: 11/10/05

Physical standards Physical standards includes reference weights and reference thermometers. Reference Standard A reference standard usually has the highest metrological quality found at a given location in a given organization, from which measurements made there are derived. Generally, this refers to recognized national or international traceable standards such as National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) thermometers and weights. Traceability Traceability is the property of the result of a measurement or the value of a standard whereby it can be related to stated references, usually national or international standards, through an unbroken chain of comparisons all having stated uncertainties (VIM: 1999-6.10). Verification Confirmation - Verification confirmation is through the provision of objective evidence that specified requirements have been fulfilled. (ISO 9000: 2000 3.8.4) NOTE: : In connection with the management of measuring equipment, verification provides a means for checking that the deviations between values indicated by a measuring instrument and corresponding known values of a measured quantity are consistently smaller than the maximum allowable error defined in a standard, regulation or specification peculiar to the management of the measuring equipment. The result of verification leads to a decision to restore in service, perform adjustments or repair, downgrade or declare the equipment obsolete. In all cases, written traceability of the verification performed is kept on the measuring instrument's individual record. 8. Records Equipment maintenance and performance checks records Calibration records Installation and operation qualification records obtained from equipment manufacturer or installer Equipment inventory

9. Supporting FDA Staff Manual Guide, procedure for surplus equipment

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Document No.:

Version No.: 1.3

ORA LABORATORY PROCEDURE Food and Drug Administration

Title: EQUIPMENT

ORA-LAB.5.5
Page 9 of 13
Effective Date: 10-01-03 Revised: 11/10/05

Documents Laboratory Thermometer Calibration Work Instruction Laboratory Pipette Calibration Work Instruction
10. Attachment A: Table 1, AOAC Equipment Maintenance and Performance Attachments Requirements

Attachment B: Table 2, AOAC Equipment Calibration and Verification Requirements

Document History Version Status Date Location of Change History (I, R, C) Approved No.
1.2 R 06/22/05
Hoods; #2 frequency for Spects changed to Daily

Author

Name & Title Approving Official

LMEB

Attachment A - #3.added to Fume LMEB Attachment B

Annual frequency for freezers, refrigerators, waterbaths, ovens, incubators, furnaces, autoclaves, thermometers checks added; row deleted on safety cabinets & vol. delivery devices;#2 added to freeze dryers, vacuum ovens

1.3

11/16/05

In Document

LMEB

LMEB

Approving Officials signature: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

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ORA LABORATORY PROCEDURE Food and Drug Administration

Title: ATTACHMENT A

Document No.:

Version No.: 1.3 Page 10 of 13 Effective Date: 10-01-03 Revised: 11/10/05

ORA-LAB. 5.5

Table 1. Equipment Maintenance and Performance Requirements

NOTE 1: Documentation is required for annual maintenance. NOTE 2: Daily refers to measurements when in use.

Equipment Autoclaves

Requirement 1. Clean 2. Temperature and Time 3. Sterile control all media 4. Spore vials or strips 5. Service 1. Clean 2. Mass measurement

Balances

Centrifuges

Chromatographs

3. Service Note: Balances used for USP analysis meets compendial specifications. 1.Clean 2. Sanitize (for micro use) 3. Service 1. Refer to instrument manufacturers instructions 1. 2. 1. 2. 3. 1. Clean, sanitize and reorganize Temperature Clean Air flow monitor Service (to include airflow) Reaction each lot

Minimum Frequency 1. After spills 2. Daily 3. Each load 4. Weekly 5. As per manufacturer or laboratory procedure 1. After each use 2. Daily with internal calibration or with a reference weight 3. Annually

1. 2. 3. 1.

Freezers Fume hoods

ID Systems (eg. Vitek, VIDAS) Incubators Media, prepared Microscopes Ovens, Furnaces Pipettes, petri dishes, plasticware (micro.) Rapid test kits (micro.)

1. 2. 1. 2. 3. 1.

After spills or breakages Each month Annually As recommended by manufacturer or per laboratory procedure As scheduled by lab Daily After spills Monthly Annually Culture reference

1. Clean, sanitize 2. Temperature 1. Sterility, growth promotion, pH, appearance, expected reaction 1. Clean objectives and eyepieces 2. Service 1. Clean 2. Temperature Sterility Test in-house kit +/- controls.

1. As scheduled by lab 2. Daily am and pm 1. Each batch 1. After each use 2. Annually 1. As scheduled by lab 2. Daily Each lot Each lot and test run

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ORA LABORATORY PROCEDURE Food and Drug Administration

Title: ATTACHMENT A

Document No.:

Version No.: 1.3 Page 11 of 13 Effective Date: 10-01-03 Revised: 11/10/05

ORA-LAB. 5.5

Equipment Refrigerators

Requirement 1. Clean and sanitize 2. Temperature Still/De-ionized Water Clean Systems DI System: Replace cartridge Safety Cabinets and Laminar 1. Clean, sanitize flow hoods 2. Test for air purity by exposing open culture plate 3. Service: check filter integrity, air flow velocity and direction 4. Monitor air flow Spectrophotometers and Spectrometers (AA, UV/Vis fluorometric, ICP, Mass etc.) Test reagents (micro) Vial fillers (micro) Water, DI or Distilled 1. Clean 2. System response (blank, standard, control, etc.) 1. +/- reaction 1. Clean 1. Conductivity 2. Aerobic Plate Count 3. Toxicity, Heavy Metals 1. Clean 2. Temperature Clean and service

Minimum Frequency 1. As scheduled by lab 2. Daily As recommended by manufacturer 1. Each use 2. Each sample set-up 3. Annually 4. Monthly 1. After each use 2. Daily 1. Each lot 1. As scheduled by lab 1. Weekly 2. Monthly 3. Annually 1. As scheduled 2. Daily Per manufacturer

Water baths Water deionizers

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ORA LABORATORY PROCEDURE Food and Drug Administration

Title: ATTACHMENT B

Document No.: ORA-LAB. 5.5

Version No.: 1.3 Page 12 of 13 Effective Date: 10-01-03 Revised: 11/10/05

Table 2. Equipment Calibration or Verification Requirements

NOTE 1: Documentation is required for annual calibration or verification. NOTE 2: Daily refers to measurements when in use.

CALIBRATION OF EQUIPMENT Equipment Requirement Balances 1. Recognized mass standard

Minimum Frequency 1. Annually 1. At installation 2. Annualy 1. At installation, daily

1. Upon receipt

Freezers, Refrigerators, and Waterbaths Dispensing equipment for microbiological media

Glassware, Non-Class A, Volumetric: pipets, burets and volumetric flasks Hydrometer, Reference

1. Stability and uniformity of temperature 1. Volume

1. Accuracy and precision using mass of water

1. One point calibration to standard of known specific gravity Hydrometer, Working 1. One point calibration to reference hydrometer Incubators 1. Accuracy of temperature sensing system, uniformity and stability of temperature Microscopes 1. Calibrate stage micrometer Ovens, Furnaces, Autoclaves 1. Accuracy of temperature sensing system, uniformity and stability of temperature Thermometer, Reference Thermocouple, Reference pH meters, ion selective and conductivity equipment Volumetric delivery devices; mechanical pipets and burets Timers Weights 1. Critical points on scale 1. Calibration std. verification 1. pH reading with standard buffers or other known and standardized ionic solutions 1. Accuracy and precision 1. National time standard 1. Re-certification for accuracy from recognized national or international calibration units

1. Every two years 1. 1. 2. 1. 1. 2. Annually At installation Annually At installation At installation, annually Annually

1. Annually 1. Annually 1. Each use 1. Every 6 months 1. Annually 1. Every 5 years

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ORA LABORATORY PROCEDURE Food and Drug Administration

Title: ATTACHMENT B

Document No.: ORA-LAB. 5.5

Version No.: 1.3 Page 13 of 13 Effective Date: 10-01-03 Revised: 11/10/05

VERIFICATION OF EQUIPMENT Equipment Requirement Spectrophotometers and 1. Overall systems check: Wavelength (accuracy, Spectrometers (AA, UV/Vis precision, stability), source stability, detector fluorometric, ICP, Mass etc.) performance (resolution, selectivity, stability, linearity, accuracy, precision), signal-to-noise (mass, ppm, wavelength, frequency, absorbance, transmittance, bandwidth, intensity), as applicable Chromatographs 1. Overall system checks, column performance (resolution, capacity, retention), detector performance (output, response, noise, drift, selectivity, linearity), automatic sampler (accuracy and precision of time routines, reproducibility of injections), as applicable Thermocouple, Working Calibration versus reference thermocouple Thermometer, Working Specific points against reference thermometer Freeze dryers, Vacuum 1. Ability to achieve and sustain vacuum ovens 2. Gauges calibrated and verified

Minimum Frequency 1. Annually

1. Annually

Annually Annually 1. Annually 2. Annually

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